“Just a minute.” He removed his hands from his pockets along with a small blue box.
A Tiffany blue box.
“Hutton.”
He opened it, and there was the ring.
Now I was the one who couldn’t breathe. I splayed a hand over my chest. “Hutton.”
“Yes.”
“Tell me that is not the ring I tried on today.”
“That is not the ring you tried on today.”
I met his eyes, catching a twinkle in their midnight blue. “Liar! You said we were leaving without the ring!”
“We did. This one came from another store. It has a stone with better clarity. That one had a blemish.”
“A blemish?” I squeaked.
“Yes.”
“Hutton.” I took a breath. “Tell me this is only on loan, like the necklace was in the movie. Remember? Richard Gere does not actually purchase the necklace for her. He only borrows it for the night.”
“Richard Gere’s not a real billionaire. I am.” He took the ring from its cushion and set the box on the dining table. “Will you wear it?”
I was so torn. I wanted to, but I could not accept this ring from him. “Oh, God,” I said, feeling like my heart was going to explode. “I want to, I really do—but it’s too much.”
“It’s just a gift, Felicity.” He took my left hand and slipped the ring on my finger. “Let me give you a gift.”
“For what?” My voice cracked, and tears threatened to ruin my carefully applied makeup. “I don’t need a gift for being your friend.”
“It’s not really for anything. It’s a symbol of our friendship. It’s a gesture of appreciation.”
“Huttonnnnn,” I whined softly, adoring the way the ring sparkled. “A gesture of appreciation is a latte or a sandwich. This is a diamond ring. It’s too much.”
He didn’t say anything right away, and his eyes stayed focused on my hand, which he still held. “I understand,” he said quietly, “that this is unusual. I know most people don’t gift diamond rings to their friends—it’s traditionally something reserved for the one person you’re going to spend your life with. Your soul mate. But you know what?”
“What?”
He offered a hint of a smile. “At the risk of sounding a little crazy, my mom taught me that there are all kinds of soul mates—past-life soul mates, kindred spirits, soul ties . . . She thinks there are certain people you just feel a deep, extraordinary connection with, and it transcends time and place as we know it.”
“I believe that,” I whispered, remembering how it had felt like I’d known him from the first time I saw him.
“So think of this as a symbol of that connection. Because even though we aren’t getting married, you are the person I cherish most, someone I will always want in my life. In fact, I feel one hundred percent certain our friendship will outlast all of Wade’s marriages.”
My throat had closed up, making it impossible to speak, but I managed a smile and a nod.
“This isn’t a real proposal, because this isn’t a real engagement. But I thought maybe we could have one real thing to celebrate our friendship and the way we show up for each other. Something that will outlast this fake engagement.” His smile turned a little cocky as he shrugged. “And honestly, I can afford it.”
A laugh escaped me, but so did a tear.
Hutton brushed it from my cheekbone with his thumb. “If you never want to wear the ring, you don’t have to. But will you accept it?”
I nodded, desperately trying not to cry. “Okay.”
“Good.” He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “Let’s go.”
At dinner, I kept reaching for my wine glass with my left hand so I could admire the ring. I loved the way it glittered in the candlelight. “You know, I’ve never been the girl who craves fancy, shiny things, but I am head over heels in love with this ring.”
“Good.”
“But Hutton.” I sat up straight in my seat and gave him a death stare. “No more expensive surprises, okay? Promise me.”
He reached for his whiskey. “That’s no fun. I like treating you.”
“But this is all one-sided! How am I going to treat you?”
He took a drink, swirled the liquid in his glass, and sipped again. “We’ll talk.”
My core muscles clenched.
All I could think was, Oklahoma. Bumblebee. Roy Kent.
After dinner, I was dying to try the warm chocolate cake with raspberry creamsicle ice cream, but we were running a little late and still had to pick up our tickets. “Another time,” Hutton promised. “I’ll make sure you get to taste it before we go home.”